Apparatus for continuously drawing, knurling and coiling travelling wire



2 Sheets-Sheet 1 VELLING WIRE NG TRA E. C. HUNTER APPARATUS FOR CONTINUOUSLY DRAWING, KNURLING AND COILI I J! Lllml Dec. 29, 1964 Filed Feb INVENTOR EVERETT c. HUNTER.

5 m r .A w

Dec. 29, 1964 E. c. HUNTER 3,163,058 APPARATUS FOR CONTINUOUSLY DRAWING, KNURLING AND COILING TRAVELLING WIRE Filed Feb. 28, 1963 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 lL 1 E 12' l H w 15 M' 1mm L I 1 l [m -4 22 2c 1 4 I I v Q Ill 34 A a" llh ll ll. I|.. H II 28 3 I H'l 2 r \L fl INVENTOR. P 3 EVERETT C. HUNTER. fim,a wmm%.

United States Patent APPARATUS FGR CQNTHNUGUSLY DRAWHNG,

KNURLEWG AND CQILKNG TRAVELLENKG WERE Everett C. Hunter, Relic Vernon, Pa, assignor to Pittsburgh Steel (Jornpany, iittsburgh, Pa, a corporation of Pennsylvania Filed Feb. 28, 1963, Ser. No. 261,734 flaims. (Cl. 8ti4) This invention relates to apparatus for knurling continuously moving wire, and more particularly for knurling the wire as it is being drawn and wound around a dead block.

A common way of reducing the diameter of wire is to draw it through a die located ahead of a rotating reel or block, which is driven to pull the wire through the die. Of course, the wire is wound on the driven block, but the size of the coil that can be produced in this way obviously is quite limited. Another way of drawing and coiling wire that does not have the limitation just mentioned is to wrap the wire around a stationary or dead block. The wrapping is done by a rotating arm that carries the drawing die, through which the wire travels on its way to the dead block. As the wire is Wrapped around one end of the block, the turns already encircling the block are pushed axially along it and off its opposite end. These turns fall over a vertical spindle that can be made of any desired height so that extremely large coils of wire can be produced, much larger than is feasible with the ordinary rotating reel.

It is among the objects of this invention to provide apparatus for continuously drawing and coiling travelling wire with the aid of a dead block, which also knurls the wire between the drawing die and the block, and which knurls the wire without interfering with the drawing and coiling and without complicating the operation.

In accordance with this invention a sweep arm is mounted at one end of a dead block, from which it is spaced axially. The arm is disposed radially of the block and projects beyond it. The arm is rotated continuously on the axis of the dead block. Means are provided near the axis of rotation of the arm for guiding a travelling wire to the side of the arm next to the dead block. Mounted on the same side of the arm is a wire-drawing die for receiving a wire from the guiding means and reducing its diameter. Also mounted on the same side of the arm outwardly of the die are means for receiving the reduced wire from the die and knurling it. The outer end of the arm supports sheave means in a position for guiding the knurled wire from the knurling means to the adjacent end of the dead block. Consequently, while the arm is rotating and a portion of the wire is wrapped tightly around the dead block, the following portion of the wire is coiled by the arm around the dead block as the sheave means pull the wire through the knurling means and the die.

The preferred embodiment of the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which FIG. 1 is a fragmentary side view of my apparatus;

FIG. 2 is a vertical section taken on the line lI-H of FIG. 1; and

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary bottom plan view taken on the line III-III of FIG. 2.

Referring to the drawings, a slightly conical dead block 1 with a substantially horizontal axis is mounted on the outer end of a horizontal hollow shaft 2 projecting from a housing 3, in which the shaft is journaled in a known manner so that it can be rotated continuously by suitable driving means. The outer end of the shaft is journaled in the dead block so that it can rotate without turning the heavy block, the inertia of which or suitable mechanical means will hold it stationary. The inner end of the block is encircled by a flange 4 having a tapered surface connecting it with the side of the block. Rigidly mounted on the shaft between the housing and dead block is a sweep arm 5 that projects radially from opposite sides of the block, the arm being spaced axially therefrom. One end of the arm supports a counterweight 6 for balancing the wider opposite end of the arm and the equipment carried by it.

The wider part of the sweep arm is provided close to the shaft with a radial slot 7, in which a sheave 3 is journaled so that it projects from both sides of the arm. This sheave receives a wire W from a smaller sheave 9 journaled in a slot in the side of the hollow shaft. The wire extends back through the shaft to a supply reel (not shown) in a known manner. The wire extends through the arm slot and part way around sheave 8 and then outward along the side of the arm next to the dead block. Just after the wire leaves sheave 8 it passes through a conventional drawing die 10, by which the diameter of the wire is reduced. Immediately thereafter, the wire travels through die rolling apparatus which forms knurls on it, and then the wire extends around a pair of laterally spaced sheaves 11 and 12 rotatably mounted on parallel axles projecting from the opposite ends of a supporting plate 13. This plate is mounted at an inclination to the arm on a block 14 secured to the side of the arm near one corner. The position of the plate is such that one of the sheaves receives the wire travelling in a straight line to it from the drawing die and guides it to the adjacent sheave, around which the wire extends and then back tangentially to the dead block at the base of its flange.

It will be seen that when the sweep arm rotates around the dead block in the direction indicated by the arrow in FIG. 2, the wire will be wrapped around the block because previous turns of the wire around it adjacent flange 4 will tightly engage the block and keep the wire from slipping around it. Therefore, as the arm rotates, the outer sheaves l1 and 12 pull the wire through the knurling apparatus, the drawing die, the arm slot and through the hollow shaft from the supply reel. As the wire is wound in this Way around the inner end of the dead block, each turn of wire forces tre preceding turn axially outward along the block and, since the block is tapered, the outwardly sliding turns lose their grip on it and move freely outward and fall off its outer end over a suitable spindle or post.

A feature of this invention is the construction of the knurler. As shown in FIG. 2, it includes a pair of heavy pivot pins 16 projecting from the sweep arm toward the dead block at points spaced equidistant from the opposite sides of the wire stretched between the die and sheave ll. Pivotally mounted on each pin is a bar 17. The two bars have laterally spaced inner ends and extend laterally away from each other at an inclination outwardly along the sweep arm. The inner end of each arm is bifurcated to provide it with a slot parallel to the arm for receiving a vertical roll 18. The rolls are pivotally mounted on pins 19 extending horizontally through the arms. Due to the oblique disposition of the arms, the axes of the roll pins 19 are behind or radially inward of the sweep arm relative to the axes of the pins 16 on which the bars pivot. The rolls are provided with circumferential grooves forming a pass between them for the wire after it leaves the drawing die. The base of each groove is provided with circumferentially spaced radial projections 2d of any desired shape, which will press into the wire to form longitudinally spaced depressions that define knurls 21 between them. A tie bar 22 is mounted on the projecting upper ends of pins 16 to prevent rolling pressures from springing them apart.

Mounted beside each pivoted bar 17, preferably behind its outer end portion, is an adjustable stop that may consist of a set screw 25 threaded in a block 26 secured to the sweep arm. The front or outer ends of the screws are engaged by the adjoining bars to limit movement of their outer ends inwardly of the sweep arm, whereby the distance that the rolls can be swung forward or outward toward the outer end of the sweep arm and simultaneously toward each other can be controlled to limit the depth of knurling.

During operation of this apparatus the friction of the wire against the knurling rolls swings them toward each other until the bar tightly engage the stop screws. As the wire continues to move forward between the rolls, it is rolled and knurled by them as shown. It will be seen that no screw-downs are necessary for pressing the rolls against the wire, because the angle of bars 17 to the wire is such that the friction of the wire against the rolls will pull them into die rolling engagement with it. This simple but very effective idea materially reduces the cost and complexity of the apparatus. Likewise, nothing new for pulling the wire through the rolls is necessary, because the same equipment that draws the wire through the drawing die It) is used for drawing the wire between the rolls.

A further feature i that the moment the knurled wire accidentally brealcs in front of the rolls or stops moving, the longitudinal contraction due to release of tension on the wire will swing the rolls inward along the sweep arm slightly and thereby simultaneously cause them to move apart and release their pressure against the wire. This action prevents the wire from damaging the knurls on the trolls either at that time or when the wire starts moving ahead again. The same action occurs when hard spots in the wire pass between the rolls; that is, the rolls swing apart slightly to accommodate the hard spots so that the pressure against the rolls will not be raised excessively.

Nevertheless, it is neither desirable nor satisfactory to leave the outer ends of the pivoted bars entirely free to swing toward the outer end of the sweep arm, because in such a case they would have to be pushed back manually until the wire grabbed the rolls again, and also because the inner end of one bar might attempt to swing away from the wire while the other bar is in engagement with its stop 25. That would prevent the rolls from engaging the wire as tightly as desired. Therefore, the outer ends of the bars are pressed strongly, but yieldingly, against the stops. A suitable way of doing this is to mount a resilient cushion 27 near the outer end of each bar on the side facing the outer end of the sweep arm. The cushion may be secured to the bar by mounting it on one end of a screw 28 that extends through the bar and is threaded on a nut 29 welded to the side of the bar opposite the cushion. By turning the screw in the nut, the distance that the cushion projects from the bar can be varied to take care of diiierent settings of the stops. Means are mounted on the sweep arm for engagement by the cushions to normally keep the outer ends of the bars from swinging forward. Preferably, these means are quickly releasable so that the rolls can be separated quickly when desired. For this purpose cams 31 may be pivotally mounted on pivot pins 32 projecting from the sweep arm in front of the cushions. The cams normally engage the cushions and also stop pins 33 projecting from the sweep arm, but handles 34 on the cams permit them to be rotated to release them from the cushions when desired. The cushions normally strongly resist backward swinging of the rolls, but yet they are capable of being compressed enough to permit the rolls to be swung backward slightly by the wire whenever necessary. This movement is just enough to prevent the rolls from being damaged.

One of the biggest advantages of this knurling apparatus is that it can be operated at high speed, as high as the operating speed of the drawing operations. This makes it possible to lil'ltlll wire as it leaves the drawing die on its way to the dead block, instead of requiring performance of the knurl-ing operation later in other apparatus and ate much slower speed.

Although a horizontal dead block has been shown and described herein, it will be understood that my invention is equally applicable when the axis of the dead block is vertical. In such a case shaft 2 obviously will be vertical likewise, and sweep arm 5 will rotate in a horizontal plane.

I claim:

1. Apparatus for continuously drawing and knurling and coiling travelling wire, comprising a dead block, a sweep arm mounted at one end of the dead block and spaced axially therefrom, the arm being disposed radially of the dead block and projecting radially beyond it, means for continuously rotating the arm on the axis or" the dead block, means near the axis of rotation of the arm for guiding a travelling wire to the side of the arm next to the dead block, a wire-drawing die mounted on said side of the arm for receiving a wire from said guiding means and reducing its diameter, a pair of laterally spaced rolls at said side of the a in parallel thereto and spaced ouwardly along the arm relative to the die, the rolls being provided with circumferentially spaced radial projections and being positioned to form a pass for a reduced wire from the die, a pair of bars adjoining the rolls and parallel to the sweep arm, the bars being inclined to each other and each having an inner end pivotally supporting one of said rolls. the bars extending laterally away from each other and outward along the sweep arm, means between the rolls and the outer ends of the bars pivotally connecting the bars to said arm on parallel axes, stops on th sweep arm limiting movement of the outer ends of the bars away from the outer end of the arm, and sheaves means supported by the outer end of the sweep arm in a position for guiding the wire from said roll pass to the adjacent end of the dead block, rotation of said sweep arm while a portion of the wire is wrapped tightly around the dead block serving to coil the following portion of the wire around the dead block as said sheave meam pull the wire from said rolls, and said bar-pivoting means being located outwardly along the sweep arm from the roll axes to permit the wire to pull the rolls toward each other into rolling engagement with the wire to form knurls thereon.

2. Apparatu according to claim 1, in which said stops are adju-stably mounted on the sweep arm between the outer ends 05 said bars and said die.

3. Apparatus according to claim l, including resilient means mounted on the sweep arm and pressing said bars against said stops. whereby increased pressure against the rolls by a travelling wire being rolled by them can swing the rolls inwardly along the arm and apart slightly to avoid damage.

4. Apparatus according to claim 1, including resilient cushions carried the side of the outer ends of said bars facing the outer end or" the arm, and manually releasable means pivotally mounted on the sweep arm between the bars and outer end of the arm and normally pressing against said cushions to resiliently hold the bars against said stops.

5. Apparatus for continuously drawing and knurling and coiling travelling wire, comprising a dead block, a sweep arm mounted at one end of the dead block and spaced axially therefrom, the arm being disposed radially of the dead block and protecting radially beyond it. means for continuously rotating the arm on the axis of the dead block, means near the axis of rotation of the arm for guiding a travelling wire to the side of the arm next to the dead block, a wire-drawing die mounted on said side of the arm for receiving a wire from said guiding means and reducing its diameter, means mounted on said side of the arm outwardly of the die for receiving a reduced wire from the die and knurling it, mid a pair of laterally spaced sheaves supported by the outer end of the arm in a plane inclined to the plane of the arm to locate one sheave 5 6 in a position to receive a knurled Wire from said knurling References Cited by the Examiner means and to locate the other sheave in a position to UNITED STATES A N guide the knurled Wire from the first sheave away from said arm to the adjacent end of the dead bleak; whereby, gii g While said arm is rotating and a pertion of the wire is 5 2294685 9/42 Ne1son Wrapped tightly around the dead block, the follewing por- A h tion of the Wire is coiled by the arm around the dead block FOREIGN PATENTS as said sheave means pull the wire through the knurling 213,363 2/61 Austria.

meansand 10 CHARLES W. LANHAM, Primary Examiner. 

1. APPARATUS FOR CONTINUOUSLY DRAWING AND KNURLING AND COILING TRAVELLING WIRE, COMPRISING A DEAD BLOCK, A SWEEP ARM MOUNTED AT ONE END OF THE DEAD BLOCK AND SPACED AXIALLY THEREFROM, THE ARM BEING DISPOSED RADIALLY OF THE DEAD BLOCK AND PROJECTING RADIALLY BEYOND IT, MEANS FOR CONTINUOUSLY ROTATING THE ARM ON THE AXIS OF THE DEAD BLOCK, MEANS NEAR THE AXIS OF ROTATION OF THE ARM FOR GUIDING A TRAVELLING WIRE TO THE SIDE OF THE ARM NEXT TO THE DEAD BLOCK, A WIRE-DRAWING DIE MOUNTED ON SAID SIDE OF THE ARM FOR RECEIVING A WIRE FROM SAID GUIDING MEANS AND REDUCING ITS DIAMETER, A PAIR OF LATERALLY SPACED ROLLS AT SAID SIDE OF THE ARM PARALLEL THERETO AND SPACED OUTWARDLY ALONG THE ARM RELATIVE TO THE DIE, THE ROLLS BEING PROVIDED WITH CIRCUMFERENTIALLY SPACED RADIAL PROJECTIONS AND BEING POSITIONED TO FORM A PASS FOR A REDUCED WIRE FROM THE DIE, A PAIR OF BARS ADJOINING THE ROLLS AND PARALLEL TO THE SWEEP ARM, THE BARS BEING INCLINED TO EACH OTHER AND EACH HAVING AN INNER END PIVOTALLY SUPPORTING ONE OF SAID ROLLS, 